Dooter

It's an awesome feeling!!! I even got saucy and used the airplane BATHroom!! Mostly just cuz I could.

Lissa once said on here: "chew it until you feel like you want to spit it out. THEN swallow it." That said- I don't always accomplish it. There are foods that will let you KNOW you didn't chew them enough. It hurts when it hits your stomach. Of all things- if I don't chew up the little curds in my cottage cheese, it really hurts when it hits bottom. You'll figure it out..

Ya, I think it all depends on where you are crossing. I live in New Mexico, and I know the people south of our border have gone freaking bugnuts. AZ border is pretty bad too. The dentist my dad used to go to down there was kidnapped and to my knowledge never found. Sorry- not to scare you, but it seems everyone going to the baja end of Mexico are not having trouble. If it were closer this way, I'd seriously advise against it. I can see why your family is concerned, but the realtime experiences from people on here should guide you in the right direction and give you a sense of what's what.

Shoot, the first several weeks post op, all I had to do was have 4 oz of apple juice per day. (Low sugar Mott's for tots) That WAYYY did it. But....everyone is different.

Uhhhh....yeeeaaahhhhh.... if you can't eat enough to make the Protein goal, then by all means go for the shakes! The protein is important to keep your strength up and to burn fat and not muscle. Once you start to eat more regularly and your capacity increases, you will naturally start getting most of your protein from food. It's way too early to expect that from you, however. :/

I did it. I have never been more hungry than the day I made the appt for surgery. I went wild. I can't believe I only gained 10 pounds, and Yes....I did have to re-lose that 10 pounds, but I don't regret a bite. One day about a week before I started pre op liquids, I felt SICK because I overdid it that day, and I got MAD. Mad at food, mad at me.... At that point I couldn't wait to start liquids so I could feel some relief from it all. I still don't regret "getting it out of my system." I really did say goodbye, because I was eating stuff I have NO business dabbling in now. Even when I get skinny, I won't be visiting Krispy Kreme on a regular basis. Maybe once a year on my birthday, if that. And McDonald's??? FORGET IT!! That stuff is GONe!!! Ya-if there is something that will forever haunt you.... go have it now. Maybe one, not twelve.

I'm only 5 months out, but the "full feeling" does seem to change as time goes on. At first- this is really weird, but I started to get a pain behind my eyes when I was getting full. Then it was a general "goopy" feeling, and now I feel a tightness at the top end of my stomach. So I'd imagine you could be normal (whatever that is) for a year out. ? maybe?

OH......MY ........GOSH!!!!! 109!!! Girl that's amazing!!! If you haven't posted any pics, you need to. Good job! Good to hear from you!

Cucumbers and carrots have very little calories and the fibrousness of them makes you feel full quickly. Could help you out some. One other thing to realize is that will all the struggles we've gone through trying to lose weight, sometimes losing weight is uncomfortable. We've all felt that many times. We may still have to deal with that from time to time even with surgery. I know for me, if I go to bed too late I get REALLY hungry. I just have to bear it out and/or go to bed and just deal with it. If your surgery is still fairly new, then the hunger hormones may not be out of your system just yet. It was two months before I really lost my appetite. So- HANG IN THERE!! you can do this, and just try to keep yourself busy when you're too hungry. Suck on some sugar free hard candies. That helps a lot too. OH--and pickles have almost NO calories!! eat some pickles! (Just don't overdo it, there is a lot of sodium;) )

HEY good to see you're still around!!

Miss Brandy, are you exercising?? You MUST MUST MUST if you are not. This is not a negotiable aspect of your new life. It helps speed up the fat burning process a lot. Especially if you have metabolic issues- the exercise will help bust through all that.

My doc is pretty conservative, and he even cleared me to drink one cup of coffee per day as soon as I was home from the hospital. I didn't want it right away, so I think I waited 2 weeks. You have to be sure to keep up on your Water intake though, because it's got a diuretic effect.

I have to exercise like crazy, but my body and genetics demand it. Some people don't exercise at all (not recommended..) and lose in spite of it... Follow your docs orders for what he thinks is best for you.

(I wasn't entirely sure about the re-use factor. I just know I wouldn't WANT to! LOL)

Hey, good to see you Rootman!!

Hooray!!! Congratulations!!!! AND, you have a PICTURE now!!!

Hooray!! Welcome!!

Uuuuhhhhh..... I don't think the stomach is usable in the RNY either. It just sorta sits in there and shrivels up or something. I don't think it can ever be reversed. The nice thing about the sleeve is that while it may get "roomier" (slightly) over time, it can not stretch out to a large capacity as the RNY can do. The pouch the RNY leaves has stretch to it. With the sleeve, the stretchy part is entirely removed leaving the less movable part. The capacity of a sleeve may increase from 4 oz to like....6 oz after a couple years, but that is still pretty small, and the Grehlin factory is still gone. That's the almost more important part. The hunger hormones are mostly gone giving you greater self control.

How long have you been having trouble swallowing? Did this just start happening, or have you "known" there was a problem for months? I know you had an issue in the past, is it related? At five months I've not had a single, solitary speck of a problem, so I'm just wondering if something like this can still suddenly happen with no notice, or if you have signs for quite a while....

Well you certainly don't want some e.r. Doc cramming an NG tube down there, that could be bad. Under ICE in my cell phone, along with my husband as a contact, I put a separate contact with a big red medicalert symbol that says ICE MEDICAL INFO. Then it says the info I want them to know. You could always get a dog-tag style necklace that goes under your clothing. OORRRR they make medicalert bracelets that don't even LOOK like it. They're nicer looking than the silver chain ones.

If I tried to live on 800 calories a day and give up all my favorite foods AND start exercising withOUT the aid of this surgery??? I'd have killed 10 people by the end of the first day!!!! Been there done that.....but without the carnage. It didn't go well. I've gained and lost a thousand pounds only to end up at 349. I did not read everyone's responses thoroughly, so I don't know if this was mentioned: The hunger hormone Grehlin that is produced in the stomach is mostly taken away with the large percentage of stomach that is removed. This is one of the biggest success factors of the surgery (as it was explained by my surgeon). This has given me a self control I never knew could exist. And last year I couldn't/didn't want to....walk to the mailbox and back, because I was afraid it would be too torturous. Now I spend an hour a day on an elliptical and I look FORward to it!!! YES!!! It's true, I DO get REEEAAALLLYYYY hungry sometimes- oh yes I do. BUT....about 4 oz into eating something (which you have to choose carefully and rationally)...I'm full! Crises over. Go on with life. I just LOVE IT!! Ask what you need to. There's always someone with an answer or 12.

Hey all! Welcome.